The Walls Between Us
by oncerfandom
Summary: After years of rebuilding their lives in the enchanted forest. The next generation of royalty is threatened by an old foe. Danielle must work out how to protect her family and friends without her family crumbling and the Enchanted Forest loosing their kings and queens. But Danielle is only sixteen and her mother would never allow her to go anywhere near their greatest enemy.
1. Chapter 1: Protection Walls

**This is my first next generation fanfiction of once upon a time. You will notice a lot of references from other fandoms that I've put in for all the fangirls and fanboys to find. Let me know what you think about this story. I have made a ship already that I'll be working on so see if you can find it and tell me if you would ship them? With the awkward family tree I know but hey you never know.**

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I guess I thought I lived a normal life and what not, thinking that nothing would change; that I would be stuck in this castle for life. You can probably tell that all of that changed. Well it did and I'm going to tell you my story but before that, you need to know who I am, don't you?

My name is Danielle; but my father wanted me to be called Mary Anne which my mother did not approve of.

I am the daughter of King Robin and Queen Regina of the East in the Enchanted Forest. You see years ago, before I was born, the enchanted forest was inhabited by so few because of my mother's first dark curse. Yes she was the evil queen but forget about that for now. You see she sent all the residents of this kingdom to a land without magic, Storybrooke she called it. After they returned, the people of Storybrooke decided to share the kingdom with the four groups of most trusted people. The Charmings, Snow White, Prince Charming and Prince Neal ruled the north. My mother and father and I ruled the east. Rumplestiltskin and his wife Belle and their daughter Rose took the west. Emma Swan, Killian Jones and their son Liam ruled the south.

But I'm not an only child of course! I have Henry the eldest; he serves the kingdom as one of our best knights. Mother was always saying how much he wanted to be a hero; she even said he took his own heart out to save magic. But of course with my family that almost ended in catastrophe. Then there is Roland, he travels from place to place helping the ones that need it. Just like my father did before he met my mother. So then there is me, seventeen and still not allowed to leave my parent's sight.

I developed magic at the age of fifteen and was very carefully supervised on how I used it. Mother and Rumplestiltskin taught me how to control, use and produce it. They weren't too sure on the defensive side to it; they didn't want me using it for bad ironically enough. Henry had magic and I was always jealous of it growing up. He'd come to visit and show me all these tricks like making a huge cupcake appear before my very eyes on my birthday and using it to protect himself in battle. Mother used to tell him off, saying that I was too young to be around it and that it was dangerous. I remember sneaking in to my mother's 'study', as she called it, and witnessing her make a potion for a location spell; this was when Roland hadn't come home for his birthday or father's and she got worried and went off to search for him. In the end she found him in Agrabah, under the spell of a witch who had taken a liking to his appearance.

My brother's were both rather handsome and always got the girls they wanted. They both had dark brown hair and deep brown eyes, tall and thin. Here I was with my father's light brown hair that was always curly and long, my eyes have been described as a green and turquoise but in my opinion they sounded the same. I wasn't very tall like my brothers but I wasn't short either; considering Henry isn't blood related to me and Roland is my half brother. But I was thin and quite fit; I could fight and practice for hours on end. But I was the first child between my parents; my father's first daughter and my mother's first child.

I am close with Liam and Rose who are both around my age; Liam being nineteen and Rose being seventeen. The next generation, we are called according to our parents. We all get the kingdom responsibility speech when we turn sixteen.

"You are part of the next generation; you will grow up and take our places as kings and queens of the enchanted forest."… And this goes on and on and on for about an hour. Liam fell asleep during his and Killian wasn't too happy. I was quite funny actually when I got told. Queen Emma had sat Liam down and started off the speech that all our parents knew by heart. Killian sat beside her adding in the odd few "We love you", "Yes you're mother's right" and "It's your responsibility". Emma had been facing Killian for no more than two minutes and Liam was out like a light, slumped in his chair, mouth hanging open like a fish. Killian was furious and threw a near vase of water that had contained roses that the gardeners had so kindly picked at Liam, almost drowning him in the process; the roses ended up on Liam's knee, soaked and crushed.

Back to me now I guess and the start of my story, I'm not going to start it off with Once Upon a Time, no that's a different story that has been told before many times. That was the story of my mother's dark curse and the saviour. No this is my story and I have no other way to start it other than this.

This is the story of how I died… I'm kidding, no this is the story of how the next generation was threatened, and love was felt, lives lost and great sacrifice made…

It started when I was around sixteen; Liam, Rose and I were out one day around Rose's castle. We were sword fighting by the stream that so beautifully ran along the edges of the forest. Rumplestiltskin had protection spells up against his quarter of the kingdom, you could see the shift in the light around the protection walls; like bubble mixture it was filled with thousands of colours all made from the sun's delicate rays. However we ran to close to these walls on the day it started.

Liam wanted to see into the parts of the kingdom that were shadowed; they held the darkness, evil and demonic creatures and people of the enchanted forest who had been banished to what we call the hell of the enchanted forest. Liam promised he wouldn't go in; he just wanted to see through the protection walls and into the scarlet, black shadows on the other side. Rose and I stayed behind him, his sword in hand just in case. Rose was out of her wits frightened in case her father found out about this. Something ran along the wall, almost like a glimpse they were that fast. Tall and thin like a man but had no depth.

It came back a second time and stopped right in front of Liam. His hand shaking and his knees trembling, I ran to be beside him; to tell him not to be afraid. Rose started sobbing and ran home, her auburn curls bouncing as she left. Liam didn't take his eyes off the creature. But I couldn't see it. I was terrified for us, my hands glowed a bright white that almost blinded me.

The light revealed the creature… the boy. Liam stood petrified to the spot but I stepped closer. The boy with brown hair and blue eyes smiled, his eyes twitched black for a second before returning to blue. The boy cocked his head to the side to see Liam behind me; his smile was almost like anyone else's. He was wearing a moss green colour jumpsuit which was tightened with a brown leather belt. He wore dark brown cuffs that made his tan skin stand out. But then I realised who this was and why he was on that side and I was on this side.

He was Peter Pan, back from hell.


	2. Chapter 2: The War Begins

**As you can probably guess, I'm Thinking on pairing Liam and Danielle together? "But their family tree!" Ah! they aren't blood related, they are slightly related as Henry is both their brother and Regina is Liam's step-great grandmother. Awkward ship I know but this is Once Upon A Time we're talking about. Think of their ship name and let me know how the story is going. I will be posting the next chapter very soon as I'm off for the summer now! so I have so much time to write this fanfiction.**

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We ran. Liam and I. Liam didn't look back but I did, Pan was still there watching us with that smirk almost as if it was plastered to his face. The further we ran the more his figure turned into a shadow and disappeared. I knew that Mother would not like this one but and Rumplestiltskin would be in constant fear for Rose and Belle.

I heard the story of Pan before, of how he tricked my brother, Henry into thinking giving Pan his heart would save magic. The people who saved Henry were simply all our parents; my mother Regina, Rumplestiltskin, Tinkerbell, Emma, Killian, Snow, Charming, and Henry's father Bae. Rumplestiltskin called him bae, to my mother and belle it was baelfire and to the rest it was Neal Cassidy. He died before I was born and Roland too young to understand. The thing was that when he did die, Henry didn't remember him. When he got his memories back he was broken, like a jigsaw with a constant missing piece; he still is this way.

Anyway, Rumple sacrificed himself to kill his father, Pan, to save Storybrooke and our parents. I guess Pan found a loophole. Rumple came back to why couldn't Pan? Henry had said Pan was devious and sly as a fox. He turned Henry against his own parent's and believed that Pan was only trying to save magic but he was actually saving himself.

Liam and I both ran to Rose's castle, it blended in with its surroundings; White walls and scarlet turrets, and hidden in between two mountains covered in snow. It took a while, running there from the edge of the woods. Our legs dragging with each step, running with fear that Pan had followed us from Hell. But he didn't, the eerie silence followed and the dust of lifted snow from our feet. Liam a few paces ahead, his blonde hair cut thin but still had a bounce.

Liam did look a lot like Emma; he had little qualities that made him his father's son. Firstly he was blonde and had bright blue eyes. All the girls fell for him. He was tall and broad like his father and had the eyebrow charm that Killian used to win Emma over. He was very sarcastic but was always standing up for myself and Rose, he had a soft side that we teased him about. But nevertheless when he was scared you could definitely see it. His eyes would water and his teeth could clench =, he would be petrified to the spot then he would run and boy could he run.

Belle was coming down their grand staircase her head in a book. She was dressed in a lilac gown that made her auburn hair stand out and her blue eyes shine. It was as if we crashed in uninvited. We stood out of breath and panting like a dog while Belle and a few servants ran towards us. The beads of sweat dripping from our foreheads. I guess Rose never told her parents what we were up to.

"Danielle, Liam, are you okay? Rose ran an hour ago in tears, she said you two were up to something but she wouldn't tell me." Belle questioned us, her eyebrow slightly raised like she was telling a pair of eight year olds off. Well that throws the whole 'Rose kept our secret' out the window. The servants gave us water before either of us could speak. Liam looked at me, honestly a nineteen year old looking at a seventeen year old like he was asking me to tell her.

"Belle I think you better come over here." I said, taking Belle's arm and walking with her to a comfy sofa that sat beneath a window. She looked at me very worried. Should I tell her the truth? I mean it would get us into a whole lot of trouble.

"We were out walking in the woods when we came across Rumplestiltskin's protection wall. Rose got scared and ran home, while myself and Liam thought we saw something. It was dark and full of red and black fog on the other side so my instinct used my magic to generate light. Then we saw it… him I mean. Peter Pan. Dressed in his green jumpsuit and had that devilish smirk on his face." I said very cautiously, taking each word at a time. Belle froze as soon as I said his name. She twitched and her book fell from her hands and onto the wooden polished floor. Like everything was in slow motion, Belle stood up and Rumplestilitskin ran down the staircase and towards us. Belle let a single teardrop run down her face before her husband reached her and Liam reached me. Rumplestiltskin looked at his wife, they shared a worried and scared gaze before nodding and everything was sped up.

"Danielle, Liam, take Philippe and Chip, travel to the south and tell Emma and Killian, then travel to the north and tell your parents and then the charmings. Tell them to be prepared and come here with their best knights." Rumplestiltskin said with a stern tone. I knew by 'best knights' he meant Neal and Henry. Family gathering a few months early I guess.

I nodded and took a hold of Liam's hand before running out and into the stables. Philippe, Belle's golden brown horse was just finishing lunch along with Chip, Rumpelstilitskin's black and white horse. Liam took a hold of Chip and helped me get the saddle on Philippe before tending to Chip.

"Dad isn't going to be too happy about this." Liam muttered his deep voice with his father's accent that made the girls go mad. He watched me try to climb onto Philippe and with great fail I fell over and onto a patch of hay. He smirked before holding his hand out and rolling his eyes. He helped me up but I almost fell onto him with the force that he used to pull me up.

"Sorry, Philippe is almost the twice the height of me." I said sarcastically. He smiled with one corner of his mouth and gave me a boost up onto Philippe.

"Happy? Can Princess Danielle stay on the horse while Prince Liam gets on his?" He replied mocking my sarcasm as he hoisted himself up and onto Chip before patting Chip's neck and grabbing the reins. "Ready for an adventure?" He smiled.

"Always." I responded before we fled off and into the sunset, leaving the snow castle behind. And the evergreen forest ahead. The sun setting and casting a tangerine and peach glow against the trees and grass then shaping the matt black shadows beneath them.


	3. Chapter 3 Arriving Home

It wasn't Emma or Killian that scared me, it was my mother.

We had arrived at Liam's castle a few hours after we left Rose's. The castle itself had a clear baby blue coat of paint around it and white roses grew and twirled around the gates. The maids and servants were busy getting the dinner ready; they ran back and forth carrying plates, dishes with nearly every food imaginable on them. Liam scuttled past them all like they weren't even there so I followed but politely waved at some of them.

Killian and Emma were both in the throne room discussing the latest plans on how to keep the enchanted forest protected. I heard murmurs of warlocks, witchcraft, and a stronger force field. It had taken Emma a long time to say goodbye to her old other world ways, mother used to tell me stories on how Emma would look a particular meat and say what's this? Also when Emma hated the whole carriage and horse transport method. Emma told me that when she was my age she had her on car, a metal hollow vehicle that ran on something like petrol?

Liam approached them very silently like he wasn't even lifting his feet off the floor. I curtsied as he stepped onto the throne steps and greeted his mother and father.

"Mother, Papa, I bring dreadful news." Of course he had to say dreadful as I rolled my eyes, he was such a drama queen. "Danielle and I saw an old foe of yours. Particularly yours Papa." He said with a speak in his voice. His father grew pale and then Queen Emma looked at him and then to the floor; her mouth open in shock as Liam told both of them who it was and where we saw them.

"But I saw him; he vanished into a puff of smoke. Rumplestiltskin had stabbed him with his dagger." Emma said, not believing a word of this. Killian rested his hand on his wife's and nodded.

"He's back love. He must have found a loophole in the process." Killian said softly not wanting to frighten his wife. "He must have permanently stayed young after the dagger hit him." Emma looked as if she was about to burst into tears. After all these years of forgetting all the things that happened in Storybrooke, Cora, Pan, Zelena and Neal… Emma froze remembering the thought of Neal, her fists clenched at the flashback took hold of her.

_The woods were dark and ever green; there was not a single sound except a bird in the far distance singing a tune. Emma's hands wrapped around Neal's; her eyes shedding tears as he took his last breath to reassure her that she would find happiness._

"_Go find Tallahassee even if it's without me..." He breathed, his voice breaking softly. "I'll be looking down on you from somewhere." He whispered as he lifted his right corner of his mouth to give Emma one last smile. His hands closed tightly around hers as he faded into the light._

_Emma's hands opened to reveal the swan necklace that he had stolen for her and she had wore ever since that day as a reminder of what he done and that she would always love him._

Emma returned to the real world with a soft small tear gliding down her cheek as she looked at Killian and smiled. She had found her Tallahassee; her sons and husband. And she was going to fight for it.

I was sent home after I stayed the night in one of the guest rooms. Emma demanding that I should stay and if she didn't Regina would kill her for letting her daughter go out into the dark woods at night with that thing out there.

Liam insisted on coming with me to tell my mother. He even had the horses ready before I was even awake so I couldn't refuse. We rode off into the sunrise; his parents waiting from behind and Emma blowing kisses, making me laugh. The woods were beautiful as the sun rose; casting a lemon/gold glow on all the leaves making them brightens the forest with their many shades of green. The small stream that ran along the edge of the forest was one of the best things. You could see the colourful fish swim up and down it as you would ride past.

Arriving at my castle in the middle of the day in this situation was like sneaking in after visiting Liam after midnight. It stood tall, sleek and dark. My Mother had never bothered to return it to its bright and cheerful appearance. Not many people were around but I could sense that my mother was watching me as I rode in through the gates. I can already imagine what she'll do when I tell her, shout, cry, then go into a weird trance and become inconsolable

_It had happened once before when something was almost this bad. I had followed Henry out into the forest when I was younger to see what he was doing, he was always sneaking off after dinner into the woods; a rucksack on his back and a torch in his hand. His excuse was he was meeting up with a friend and that he never wanted anyone to meet this 'friend'. _

_I hid behind a rather thick oak tree which could cover my body; I had my bow in hand and my set of arrows on my back. I could hear raised voices like someone was arguing. My brother shouting now, most likely was defending his statement. I couldn't make out what they were saying so I stepped closer, in the process a twig snapped and the argument was silenced._

_I peak my head from behind a tree and I'm paralysed with shock and fear. Henry stands a few feet away staring at me. While I discover that his friend is the dark sorcerer. My Father always told me to stay away from this man, we never knew his name just by the horror that he creates and Henry was standing beside this monster. My feet are running back to the castle before I realise it. Henry shouting my name and his footsteps running behind me. _

_I stand behind the wall as Henry arrives home, Mother doesn't seem angry but boy am I wrong, she screams at him for how much danger he could have been in but he insists he was there on business and had his own defensive methods. Then she bursts into tears, she sobs out words like "I was so worried", "imagine what could have happened to your sister." Then silence, Henry protests to Father asking for his opinion. Father just shakes his head and helps Mother up and takes her out of the room and passes me, the tears in his eyes just show me how bad this could have been. Mother doesn't look good either, her eyes are puffy and scarlet red, she clings to his arm as he leads her up the staircase and into their bedroom. _

"Danielle I wondered when you would be home, how was your stay at Rose's?" My mother asks me as I enter her bedroom, as usual she sits on her chair in front of her mirror. She smiles kindly at me, her eyes piercing into mine. She knows something is wrong.

"It was good, Belle gave me a new book and Rose invited Liam over too." I reply, grabbing a stool and sitting in front of her. Liam decides to wait downstairs in the Throne room with my father; wise choice Liam thanks for staying with me. She raises her eyebrows at me and gently sets her hands on my face.

"Is that all? You have that look in your eyes, like you've just seen a ghost." She looks at me seriously but in the motherly way so I don't feel scared but I am; I'm petrified.

"Liam and I were out in the woods, we accidently came across the border… Something was on the other side..a… um shadow. But then it came closer…Pan, He's back." I mutter out. My hands shaking uncontrollably now. Her hands fall from my face and her own face tightens.

"Robin!" She calls her voice breaking, tears well up in her eyes and she grabs me and pulls me close like a child, her hand resting of my head. This I did not expect. She strokes my hair as my father rushes in with Liam at his heels.

"What is it Regina? What's wrong?" He asks, he sees me and comes over and sits on the stool, he rubs my back and looks at my mother. I look up at her. Her eyes are starting to puff up, she looks petrified, I can feel her heart beating like a drum.

"It's Pan, He's Back." She states, her voice cracking under each word. I look at Liam, I can feel the heat rush to my cheeks as I realise I'm crying, tears running down my face. I wipe them away quickly with the back of my hand. Liam stands there looking at me like never before. He has never seen my cry, not even when I fell of Roland's horse and broke my arm. I stand up and walk over to him as my parent's sit in silence. He opens his arms and I rush into them for comfort, He holds me as I think of the terror everyone is going through right now. He removes a piece of hair from my face so I can now see my parents.

"Get Henry and Roland home now, this fight is about to begin." My father says, his voice strong and full of force. Henry and Roland coming home to this? They won't be pleased.


	4. Chapter 4 Its Been Waiting For Years

One. Two. Three. With each stride a new twig snaps. Ash falls from the dark scarlet sky, landing on dead plants and the coal coloured soil. Trapped here isn't the problem; I need to get across into their world. They may have thought I was gone but they were wrong. This fight isn't over until I win and I will.

Don't you know Pan Never Fails.

The sun was setting over the kingdom, you could faintly see the highest turrets of each castle; Rose's gold and rose red castle opposite, the emerald green and white castle to the right that belonged to the Charmings and the aquamarine and lemon castle to the left that was Liam's.

We sat on my balcony, sitting on my rather comfy sofa as my mother called it. It was a warm evening with a gentle breeze that sent chills down your spine every ten minutes. I was in a new dress that mother had made me change into after I told her the news. It was silk and pastel green that made my eyes stand out. The sleeves were loose so each time I walked they would flow in the air.

Liam sat next to me, wearing the clothes he brought with him; a black shirt and a pair of black leather bottoms. He looked just like his father only he had his mother's blonde hair which currently sat on top of his head in a scrunched mess. His eyes were focused on the horizon right beside Rose's castle; right where we saw Pan.

"Liam, what are you thinking about?" I whispered, curling my legs up and underneath me and resting my hands on my knees. He blinked and looked at me.

"Henry is in danger, so are us. Me, you and Rose. All products of true love. Pan could use us against our parents." He said. He never took his eyes off me, he looked so serious but also as if he was going to scream at me, he clenched his teeth and his jaw line stood out.

"No, Henry and I are in danger. You and Rose haven't learnt to control your magic yet, I don't think Rose has even discovered hers. You know what Belle is like about magic." I said, still keeping our eye contact strong. He relaxed and looked down at his hands.

"That makes it worse. Danielle, he could capture you and if he did I'd never forgive myself for letting him get to you." He looks at me, his eyes shining now. But he looks away and wipes them before returning to look at me.

"I know you won't let that happen. Neither will me or my mother. She won't let Pan get to another one of her children again." I say smiling, I place my arm on his but he tenses so I remove it and look at the hem of my dress, and it's slightly dirty now; with specks of brown dirt and dust.

We sit in silence and watch as the sky goes from amber to dark blue. The temperature drops and I start to get goose bumps and shiver. I could wave my hand and a fire would appear but I don't feel like magic now; I think if I do magic Liam might be annoyed. So I get up and head into my bedroom and sit on my bed; pulling a light fluffy blanket over me and lying down.

After a few minutes Liam follows, closes the balcony doors and lies down next to me but not daring to get in the blanket too. The candles start to flicker and dim as they reach the end of the wax. The lightness in the room slips out slowly as if into a deep sleep. I face the wall, away from Liam. I can hear his deep breathing slowly like he is falling asleep but I know he would never fall asleep while I'm still awake. It's been a long few days and both of us haven't got much sleep. I drift into a light sleep; the last thing I feel is Liam kissing my forehead before I hear my bedroom door shut. I am alone now.

_Screaming echoes the walls of the dark castle in the dark evening of February, Doc rushes down one of the corridors, passing all the broken mirrors; smashed into smithereens. The screaming gets louder and a deep voice is heard. _

_The room is bright, full of lit torches and candles no darkness in sight. Queen Regina is laid on her bed, covered in sweat and tears. King Robin by her side holding her hand and dabbing her face with a wet cloth, his face pale and dark circles underneath his eyes. Doc rushes in holding a large bag and comes around to face Regina, he can barely see her over the huge bump on her stomach. _

"_Robin! The baby it's coming!" Regina pants and squeezes Robins hand and shakes her head uncomfortably. Robin stands beside her trying his best to help her deliver the baby._

"_Your Majesty, when I say you need to push. You're ready, okay?" Doc shouts as he places a clean white towel underneath Regina and opens his bag give Robin a small bottle of painkillers. Robin opens it and helps Regina drink it._

"_Doc, call me Regina I'm not that person anymore. I want to be good for this baby." Regina half stuttering half shouting at Doc. Tears rush down Robin's face as he smiles and looks at his wife, his Queen._

"_You will be the best parent for this child, I promise you." He says, kissing her before they both look at Doc._

"_Okay, push now!" Doc shouts…._

_Regina's screaming then silence, then a wail of a baby. Doc ushers Robin around to cut the cord and then wraps the newborn in a clean blanket. Robin takes the baby to Regina and smiles._

"_Meet our daughter." He says proudly, Regina starts to cry and smile at her husband. Robin hands her their daughter and Doc cleans up and leave the new parents to a moment by themselves. Henry and Roland enter the room, Henry a young adult now; carrying a book in his arms and Roland still a teenager. Regina laughs at the sight of the book and waves them over to meet their sister. Robin whispers something Henry's ear and smiles. Henry steps forward to get a closer look of his sister._

"_It's nice to meet you Danielle." Henry whispers and sets the book on the other side of the bed. The cover of the book reads 'Once Upon A Time' and it's pages are finally full. _

_A shadow appears on the balcony door, tall and slim. It watches the happy family greet their newborn girl before it flies off and out into the kingdom's crisp night air._


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